Motor controller for electric bicycles

Abstract

An electric pedal-assist bicycle may have a drivetrain including a crankset and an electric motor (e.g., a hub motor). A motor controller of the bicycle is configured to dynamically drive the motor to propel the bicycle based on a plurality of inputs. The inputs include information received from one or more of the following: user-related input(s), vehicle-related sensor(s), environmental sensor(s), and software. For example, the controller may drive the motor based on pedaling cadence and vehicle pitch orientation.

1 . An electric pedal-assist bicycle, comprising:
 a wheel rotatably coupled to a frame;   a drivetrain configured to drive the wheel, the drivetrain including a crankset and an electric motor;   a pedaling sensor configured to determine pedaling cadence information;   an orientation sensor configured to determine a pitch orientation of the bicycle; and   an electronic controller configured to drive the motor to propel the bicycle based on the pedaling cadence information and the pitch orientation.   
     
     
         2 . The electric pedal-assist bicycle of  claim 1 , wherein the electric motor comprises a hub motor coupled to the wheel. 
     
     
         3 . The electric pedal-assist bicycle of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to dynamically increase motor output in response to pitch orientation information indicating that the bicycle is traveling uphill. 
     
     
         4 . The electric pedal-assist bicycle of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to dynamically decrease motor output in response to pitch orientation information indicating that the bicycle is traveling downhill. 
     
     
         5 . The electric pedal-assist bicycle of  claim 1 , further comprising a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver, wherein the electronic controller is further configured to drive the motor based on topographic information corresponding to a geographic location of the bicycle. 
     
     
         6 . The electric pedal-assist bicycle of  claim 1 , wherein the drivetrain comprises a drive chain coupling the crankset to the wheel. 
     
     
         7 . The electric pedal-assist bicycle of  claim 1 , wherein the electronic controller comprises processing logic including a machine learning (ML) model trained to provide a motor control signal based on the cadence information and the pitch orientation. 
     
     
         8 . The electric pedal-assist bicycle of  claim 7 , further comprising an environmental sensor configured to provide environmental information, wherein the ML model is configured to provide the motor control signal based on the cadence information, the pitch orientation, and the environmental information. 
     
     
         9 . The electric pedal-assist bicycle of  claim 8 , wherein the environmental sensor is an anemometer and the environmental information comprises a local wind speed and direction. 
     
     
         10 . The electric pedal-assist bicycle of  claim 7 , further comprising a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver, wherein the electronic controller is further configured to drive the motor based on topographic information corresponding to a geographic location of the bicycle. 
     
     
         11 . An electric pedal-assist bicycle, comprising:
 a wheel rotatably coupled to a frame;   a drivetrain configured to drive the wheel, the drivetrain including a crankset, a drive chain, and an electric hub motor;   an orientation sensor configured to determine pitch orientation information of the bicycle; and   an electronic controller configured to drive the motor to propel the bicycle based on the pitch orientation information.   
     
     
         12 . The electric pedal-assist bicycle of  claim 11 , wherein the controller is further configured to dynamically increase motor output in response to pitch orientation information indicating that the bicycle is traveling uphill. 
     
     
         13 . The electric pedal-assist bicycle of  claim 11 , wherein the controller is further configured to dynamically decrease motor output in response to pitch orientation information indicating that the bicycle is traveling downhill. 
     
     
         14 . The electric pedal-assist bicycle of  claim 11 , further comprising a pedaling sensor configured to determine pedaling cadence information; wherein the electronic controller is configured drive the motor based on the pitch orientation information and the pedaling cadence information. 
     
     
         15 . The electric pedal-assist bicycle of  claim 14 , wherein the electronic controller comprises processing logic including a machine learning (ML) model trained to provide a motor control signal based on the cadence information and the pitch orientation information. 
     
     
         16 . The electric pedal-assist bicycle of  claim 15 , further comprising an environmental sensor configured to provide environmental information, wherein the ML model is configured to provide the motor control signal based on the cadence information, the pitch orientation information, and the environmental information. 
     
     
         17 . The electric pedal-assist bicycle of  claim 16 , wherein the environmental sensor is an anemometer and the environmental information comprises a local wind speed and direction. 
     
     
         18 . The electric pedal-assist bicycle of  claim 15 , further comprising a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver, wherein the electronic controller is further configured to drive the motor based on topographic information corresponding to a geographic location of the bicycle. 
     
     
         19 . A method for controlling an electric motor of an electric pedal-assist bicycle, the method comprising:
 dynamically increasing an output of a motor of an electric pedal-assist bicycle using an electronic controller of the bicycle, based on an indication that the bicycle is traveling uphill; and   dynamically decreasing an output of the motor of the electric pedal-assist bicycle using the electronic controller of the bicycle, based on an indication that the bicycle is traveling downhill;   wherein the indication that the bicycle is traveling uphill and the indication that the bicycle is traveling downhill are each based on bicycle orientation information and a pedaling cadence.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the indication that the bicycle is traveling uphill and the indication that the bicycle is traveling downhill are each further based on local topography information at a geographic location of the bicycle.